Car top tent



June 28, 1960 E. o. FERGUSON 2,942,509

CAR TOP TENT Filed Sept. 24, 1958 a Sheeis-Sheet 1 IN VEN 7' 0/? ELTON OGlLV/E FERGUSON ATTORNEYS June 28, 1960 E. o. FERGUSON CAR TOP TENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 24, 1958 FIG. 2a

INVENMR ELTON OG/LVIE FERGUSON Ai'TOR/YEYS June 28, 1960 E. o. FERGUSON 2,942,609

CAR TOP TENT Filed Sept. 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 JIM FIG. 5

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INVENRJR ELTON OG/LV/E' FERGUSON United States Patent CAR TOP TENT Elton 0. Ferguson, 588 Homer Ave, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Filed Sept. 24, 1958, Ser. No. 763,075

1 Claim. cl. 135-1 This invention relates to a collapsible tent.

It is the object of this invention to provide a tent whose design is such that it is mountable on a car roof.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tent erectable above a floor which in turn is mountable above a car roof and is easily collapsible to a compact form for travelling.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tent of the type described in the previous paragraph having a flap type door and wherein said tent door is so designed that when the tent is collapsed the flap may be extended in a generally horizontal direction to form a canopy.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 shows the tent erected.

Figure 2 shows the standards in detail.

Figure 2A is a cross-section along the lines 2A of Figure 2.

Figure 3 indicates the collapsed arrangement of the tent.

Figure 4 shows a detail of the floor support.

Figure 5 shows an alternate door arrangement.

Figure 6 shows the tent in position on a car in a collapsed arrangement, and

Figure 7 shows use of a part of the tent to provide a canopy.

In the drawings as shown a tent having a floor 10 mounted on a car by metal channel supports 11 that extend across the roof of the car and bear on healing plates at each side of the car (the supports 11 and their bearing plates are well known construction) and support legs 12 bearing on suction cups at the back of the car. A skeleton comprising standards 14 is mounted on the floor by pivotal mountings 16 and the bases of the standards are arranged in rectangular array on the floor and the standards are adapted in the erected position to project upwardly from the floor.

A top frame 18 is pivotally mounted on the upper end of said standards by pivots 19 and is shaped to define the upper contour of the tent. The top frame comprises a peripheral member ISP and arched chord members 18C. A skin 20 is designed to define the top and side walls of the tent, to overlie said skeleton and tosbe shaped by said frame. The skin is shaped by the arched chord members to form an arched roof. The skin 20 may be formed of any desired tenting material.

The standards 14 are each preferably formed of upper and lower link members 14U and 14L respectively which are pivotally connected to one another at pivot joint 22 by means of a bolt 29. Means are provided for releasably maintaining or locking the shanks in alignment when the tent is in the erected position and for releasing said shanks to swing relative to each other for packing the tent. This means preferably comprise a double sleeve member 24 best shown in Figure 2, having parallel bores 25 to slidably receive the two shanks 14U, 14L. The double sleeve 24 mounted above the pivot 22 is permanently maintained on upper shank 14U. Lower shank 14L is provided with an extension 14E above the pivot 22 and the sleeve 24 Patented June 28, 1960 ice may he slid downwardly over the extension 14E to rigidly connect the members together or slid upwardly off the extension to allow the members to be folded relative to one another. If the sleeve 24 is permanently mounted below the pivot point 22 on lower shank 14 it'will be necessary to provide means for releasably maintaining it in position against falling off the downward extension of upper shank 14U.

Pivots 16, 22 and 19 are parallel in the various standards and the axes preferably run transversely of the car. V

Referring briefly to Figures 5 and 6 it Willbe seen that for proper packing of the tent, the elbow formed by the upper and lower shanks bending about pivot 22 must move inwards so that no part of the pack tent projects outwardly relative to the car. To avoid inconvenience in collapsing the tent means are provided adjacent pivot 22 whereby the elbow cannot move outward. This means preferably comprises a stop 28 attached to one of the members 14L, on the side of pivot 22 remote from sleeve 24, having a projection 30 adapted to prevent relative movement of links 14U in such a direction that the elbow can move in an outward direction.

In the erected position the pair of front standards 14 and the extents of peripheral top member 18F and door 10 extending between them define a four-sided frame which must be kept rigid. This is achieved by providing a diagonal brace wire 21 extending from the left front pivot 16 to the right' front pivot 19 and from the right front pivot 16 to the left front pivot 19. These bra'ce wires 21 are of a length to be taut and brace the standards in their upright position.

A door is provided in the rear wall of the skin 20 and hence similar diagonal bracing cannot-be used for the rear standards 14. The brace wires 25 at the rear of the tent are preferably diagonals extending from the junction 19 of each rear standard with the top frame to the floor clear of the door opening.

The doorway so defined, may be relatively narrow as indicated inFigure 1 or relatively wide as indicated in Figure 5. The skeleton frame defined by roof standards 14 and the extent of top from 18P between them is strengthened by guy wires 25; strengthening effect of guy wires 25 increases with the angle which they make with standards 14. On the other hand the guy wires 25 must not cross the doorway, and therefore the doorway must not be so wide as to reduce the effect of the guy wires.

Means are provided for bracing front standards 14 against movement forwardly by a guy wire 33 connected to each of the rearward standards intermediate its length, and anchored to the fioor rearward of the standard by any desired means (not shown). The guy wires 33 are preferably connected totherear standards at eyes 27 in pivot pins 29. Similarly the rear standards are anchored against rearward movement by a guy wire 33 attached to each rearward standard 14 preferably to eye 29 and extending forwardly from the standard for anchorage in its floor.

All four guy wires 33 are arranged to be taut when the standards 14 are in the upright position and slackened when the tent is collapsed.

The floor 10 is provided with a central member 10C of rectangular form with side edges 10E located substantially parallel and slightly inwardly farthest lateral projections of the car. To provide a wider floor when the tent is erected side fioor members 108 are swingably connected to central floor 10C adjacent each side edge 10B and are moveable from a position overlying floor 10C (Figure 3) in the collapsed position of the tent to a position extending outwardly from the central member 10C and parallel thereto (Figure 1) in the erected position of the tent. The side members 108 are, supported in their extendedposition by rigid links 60 attached to the outside of the side members 10C and sloping upwardly and inwardly therefrom for detachable attachment to standards 14, 1 V, t

v -Additional support for the tent is provided by poles '64 V 1 adapted to extend between the ground and the door 10 to o support the floor 7 V The poles 64 are provided with ground contacting bases 66 and slope upwardly, inwardly tow-ard ;the car to contact the base of the central floor 106. Each pole is proyided with faces adapted to bear on the underside of the floor and these faces are recessed to reeeiveaneye bolt 72 projecting downwardly from the'fioor'10G, Atension spring 74 is connected at one The forward supports 14 may then be folded inwardly abOUt'PiVOt 22 (and 'Siiiilil'ti'i'eilSlY 'fOld about-pivots 1'6 and 19) to allow, the forward end of the tent to dropto- Ward the floor. At the same time a top frame 18 bends downwardly relative to the still rigid rear standards 14 about pivot points 19 and the rear standards bend forwardly relative to the floor abovepivot points 16.

Guy wires or ropes 62 are provided to supply 'addi- V tional support for the standards'14n A guy wire 62U is "attached atone end to the upper :portion of each standard14. and that the other end is anchored to the ground and a guywire 62L is attached to each standard 14 adjacent the middle thereof. The guy wires62 are each provided-with "tightening means 63.

The, skin ZO-m'ay, if desired, beQprovid'ed with transparent \iviiidc iws 50 having flexible shutters 2.

; "Theskin is shaped at th'e top'by frame 18 and at tr e bott'ombyfloor cm each "end and by theouter edges ofside fioormembefs10S at each'side. The bottom edge 7 'of skin '20 is preferably anchored under floor 10 by any desired means suchas by m'eans79 (FigureZ). The

skin 20 is also preferably tied by string 65 to the stand- ;;ards l4at piv'otflpin 29 to hold inwardly with the stand- 7 ards when the tent is bjeingipacked'.

' IIh'EskinZll'is 'provided adjacent to the top of side walls 34'w'ith p'ackin'gfla'ps 77 to cover the sidesiof the col- 7 "lapsed tent during travelling. With the doorway provided in rear wall 36, steps and a platform "may be pro- 7 vided fo'r easy-e trance to and exitirom' the tent The steps-47 ar'e'p'rovided with hooks 49 whereby they may die su'pprtedon the rear bumper and project upwardly withthe sides 51 of the -"steps -'projecting upwardly beyondfthe highest step 53. A-platform 48 n provided at its forward end with hooks 55 projecting upwardly "through the eyes of eye bolts 59 which project downw a'rdiy' from the-floor 10C. The platform 48 is slotted at itsrear'wafd end to receive the sides 51 so that the platformis supported'on the'highest step 53. When platform and -steps are no't requiredthe -step is'ren'ioved and the pla't'f'orm m'a'y be swung rearwardlyto be s'uppo'rtedunder 7 floor '10C'by'm'eans '(not"s'hown). a

' The *te'nt as shown in" Figure l is collapsible to a 'packed'fpbsition for travelling as follows} First'tlie rigid 'linir'stitl'aredetached from the standards 14 and the side iiioo'ri "embers "108 are folded over floor 10C; All the lg'u'y wires or ropes 62 are'then lowered and the tent is then entered through the 'doorin the rear'wall and the 7 5 locking sleeves, 24 of forward standard 14 are lifted clear 'df' extensionsfl iE on eachof the forward standards '14.

The locking sleeves 24 of each of the rear standards are then lifted clearof eXtension 14E and the rear standards are then folded inwardly to allow the rear and front of theftop '18 to'collaps'e re ine floor. It-will be appreciated that all theinside guy'ropes slack en automatically.

It will be noted that since the skin 20Yis tied to standards 14 at pivot pins 29 the skin folds inwardly with the standards when they are collapsed.

When the skin and standards are collapsed the packing flaps 77 are tied or anchored under the floor 10 by any convenient means such as by'tension spring 83 and attaching means 81, Figure 2.

The guy wires or ropes 62 are coiled out of the way, the support poles 64 are stowed on supports 11 under the floor as shown in Figure 7.

The tent now being collapsed it is possible to use the door drop flap 46 as an awning by 'stretdhing'it out behind the car as shown inFigure 7 for supporfbyipoles 87 and guys 89. t I

7 To erect a tent the above procedure is reversed, the packing flaps '77 are loosened and standards 14 are erected andsleeves-24are moved downwardly on each'to lock them in place. 'The poles '64 are placed in position,

, and it may be easier to do thiswhen there is no weight to depress the automobile on -its-springsy and to said :fioorto provide eight pivotal-axes, said eight pivotal axes being parallel, said f ourstandards being erectable from said ffioor to support said top-frame at the desired height above said floor, a skin adapted to rest on saidtop fr-am'eand to hang downwardly therefrom to define atop and side Walls of said tent, said standards each being composed of a pair of, foldable links pivotally joined intermediate the ends-of said standards 'onpivotal aXesparallel to saideight pivotal'axes and means for releasably locking said links in extended position and means for releasably maintaining said standards inerectedrposition, said floor having acentral member, and a-plurality .of side members, hinges joining said side members to said central mcmberwherebysaid side memberscan be hinged from'an inoperative position- ,to an operative :position' in the same planea's said central member, and means for supporting said side members int-said operative position.

' g ReferencesCited in-the tile of' this parent i l Unrrno'sTArEsj PATENTS; 

